B2 5v5 THU Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 18, 2023

By: JAY SHAH

WEEK 2 9/14

Lexington Steals (49) v. Julius Swerving (63)

Swerving use 3-point barrage to down the Steals in Lexington’s first true competition of the season

In their first game of the season after an unfortunate forfeit in Week 1, the Lexington Steals came out looking solid. Andrew led the way early while the Steals’ attendance was low, especially leading the team in energy throughout the game, drawing a couple fouls as he drove down low. Late arrival Eli Brick dominated the pace of play once he entered the game, grabbing plenty of defensive boards and firing away from deep, with 7 attempts (somewhat living up to his name). Brick transitioned from a shooting role to assisting his teammates, racking up 5 assists. He also did well on the defensive end, nabbing a couple steals. John Moscatel led the team in scoring, hitting a few 3s and 2s alike. James Long contributed a solid 11 points all on the inside, and did extremely well on the boards, getting 3 on the offensive glass alone. None of these components were anywhere near enough in the end however, as once Swerving got going, it was a dominant showing for them.

Will Otto, Anthony Dinuzzo, and Jim Birrell led the way for Julius Swerving in scoring, with 19, 16, and 14 points respectively. Otto came on late for Swerving, scoring the majority of his points in the second half as he began to assert himself in the paint among his 6 makes within the arc, along with 3 offensive rebounds. Dinuzzo, meanwhile, cashed in from beyond the arc with 4/7 shooting from deep. In fact, Swerving in general shot it prolifically from deep, with 25 attempts from deep and 12 of those converted. With more than half of their points from 3-pointers, it is clear what teams seeking to deal them a loss in the future will have to focus on. 

Next up:
Lexington Steals (0-2) v. Furious Rim Ticklers (1-1) - 9/21 6:00p
Julius Swerving (2-0) v. BADDIES (1-1) - 9/21 9:00p

Run and Gun (56) v. A Team Has No Name (69)

Run and Gun have too little, too late, as A Team Has No Name dominates from start to finish

A Team Has No Name was dialed in on the defensive end after their heartbreak last week, racking up as a team 6 steals and 5 blocks, along with 8 offensive boards to show exactly how big they are as a team. The rock was moving well for the team as well, with 15 assists for the team. Michael Chroney led the team in scoring with 17 points, getting each of his buckets from inside as he consistently pushed the ball up the floor. He baited Eduardo Deleon time and again, getting him to gamble for a steal before snatching the chance away with the ball and putting his head down on his way to blowing past Deleon on the way to the basket for a relatively easy layup. Eric Bradanese backed up Chroney with 16 points, though he once again got his primarily from beyond the arc, shooting 4/7 from that range. Steven McGuire was a dominant presence down low, having height that Run and Gun often simply could not match. Andy Coppage served as the teams point guard, setting the table beautifully for Bradanese and Chroney to get clean looks at the hoop as he played with a bemused smile on his face. Navid Sharifi played an excellent game as well, but ended up the target of late game fouls in an attempt by Run and Gun to extend the contest. Sharifi instead iced the game, making all but one of his attempts from the charity stripe. This is a team of players that know their roles and how to play them.

Run and Gun played with a deep lineup, having 8 players all see significant time on the floor. Daniel Depina got the scoring started early, drawing 2 fouls (including a 3-point attempt) and sank all his attempts. These 5 quick points allowed Depina to lead the team in scoring with 13 points. Stevy Alves and Eduardo Deleon were close behind with 11 and 10 points respectively, with Deleon once again sneaking between opposing players for shocking offensive boards. In all, it simply was not a strong enough team performance for the Gunners. Alves and Robinson Tejeda looked to pass relatively often, but the 5 team assists weren’t enough to compete with the chemistry displayed by the No Namers. Run and Gun had a heated team meeting after the loss; look for the Gunners to bounce back in a big way next week and perhaps break through for their first win of the season.

Next up:
Run and Gun (0-2) v. NNHS (1-1) - 9/21 7:00p
A Team Has No Name (1-1) at Calypso North Stars (2-0) - 9/21 8:00p

Furious Rim Ticklers (55) v. BADDIES (38)

Rim Ticklers run away with the win as BADDIES unable to score with any pace to make a run

The BADDIES were eager to get the season started, as the win they had landed in Week 1 was handed to them via forfeit. Late arrival Alan Gomez sank a couple deep balls to lead the team in scoring with 10 points, with Michael Weinstein and his own 3-pointer close behind with 9 points. The lack of scoring from beyond the arc - those 3 were their only treys of the contest - was a death knell for the BADDIES chances at winning the game, as they only cashed 25% of their looks. Jake Goldstein in particular will be looking for his shot to fall more going forward, going 0/4 from deep. Big man Matt Roberts filled his role well down low, leading his team in rebounds and also setting the table for his teammates a few times. The team will also be looking to do better from the free throw line in the future, as the points left behind on their 7/12 performance at the line will certainly sting when looking at the final score. 

The Rim Ticklers, meanwhile, had to have been galvanized by such a strong showing after a loss to league-leading Julius Swerving last time out. Point guard Drew DeBari led the backcourt, setting up his teammates with 4 assists and also controlling the defensive glass with a solid 10 total boards. Michael Rogosa had the team lead in scoring, with 14 points purely on 7 made baskets inside. Rogosa had a well-rounded game despite his lack of deep scoring, nabbing 3 steals, a block, 5 boards and dishing to his teammates for 4 assists. Djordje Vlajkovic put in an incredible performance on the boards once again, jumping relentlessly on his way to 6 offensive boards. Brian Phillips (13 points) and Jeff Yeakley (9 points) fired away with abandon from deep, combining for an astonishing 19 attempts, themselves eclipsing the entirety of the attempts by the BADDIES. The Ticklers’ 14 team assists were the other major difference in their performance from their opponents, the clean looks generated crucial in the Rim Ticklers securing their win.

Next up:
Furious Rim Ticklers (1-1) at Lexington Steals (0-2) - 9/21 6:00p
BADDIES (1-1) at Julius Swerving (2-0) - 9/21 9:00p

Calypso North Stars (60) v. NNHS (49)

Caletti carries scoring load as furious second-half rally by NNHS falls short

Tony Caletti was the story of the game for the North Stars, scoring a massive 30 of the Stars’ 60 points to deliver the win over NNHS. Caletti scored in every phase of the game, making 75% of his shots from the free throw line, 6 shots from 2-point range, 5 of 13 from 3-point range, 3 steals, and four assists. He eclipsed each half of NNHS’ production on his own. Trevor Britton was the second-leading scorer for the North Stars, making 3 treys on his way to 9 points to go with his 2 assists and relentless activity on the boards. Lucas Rathjens and Brian Vogt chipped in 5 points apiece, with Rathjens making some free throws to make NNHS pay for hacking him in the paint. Chris’ 9 points rounded out the scoring with John Letteney’s 2 points, with Letteney grabbing a couple of late, crucial steals to seal the win. 

Deven Labovitch was the top scorer for NNHS, scoring inside and out on his way to 15 points. When Calypso started fast, opening up an 8 to 0 lead, Labovitch struck back practically on his own, going on a personal 7 to 0 run to prevent the game from getting out of hand too quickly. Mike Gately followed close behind with 13 points, showing up all over the court to collect an offensive board, a block, and two steals as well. Gately tied for the team lead in assists as well, with Philip Barnett, who struggled to score but was similarly active around the court, grabbing a couple steals to boot. Matt Wood and Charlie Rao rounded out the scoring with 9 points apiece. NNHS put on the heat late, trying to mount a strong comeback in the closing minutes but came up short, simply running out of time in the end. 

Next up:
Calypso North Stars (2-0) v. A Team Has No Name (1-1) - 9/21 8:00p
NNHS (1-1) at Run and Gun (0-2) - 9/21 7:00p

3 Stars:

• Tony Caletti (Calypso North Stars) - 30 points (5/13 3PM), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
• Will Otto (Julius Swerving) - 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
• Michael Chroney (A Team Has No Name) - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

Power Rankings:

1. Julius Swerving (+1)
2. Calypso North Stars (+2)
3. A Team Has No Name (0)
4. NNHS (-3)
5. Furious Rim Ticklers (0)
6. Run and Gun (0)
7. Lexington Steals (+1)
8. BADDIES (-1)